Many objects need to be marked in order to be identified or be distinguished from other similar objects. Often it is not sufficient to identify the object by information on the package in which the object is placed--if a package is used. When the package is taken away there is no identification left about the object. Examples of such objects include drugs in solid or semi-solid form, such as pills, capsules and chewing-gums. Solid drugs having a hard texture or being coated as to obtain a hard surface may be marked using e,g., a laser printing technique. Successful suchprinting requires that the surface of the object does not absorb the printing dye in such a way that it spreads and renders the printed message illegible. Some solid drug formulations might also be marked through stamping or impress ing. This technique requires that the texture of the object is such that the object does not stick to the stamping/impressing device and that the stamped/impressed marking will not fade due to the object resuming its prior appearance. Both the printing and the stamping/impressing methods further require that the objects to be marked may be easily and precisely positioned during the marking operation in order to achieve consistent and legible marking. Some objects might be molded into their final shapes thereby simultaneously achieving a marking in the form of a depression or raising. Anyhow there are very specific requirements, as to defined melting points, non-sensitivity to heat etc, on compositions being suitable for moulding, excluding many compositions from being mouldable.
One example of objects which cannot be marked either by using anyone of the above methods or with any other known technique is nicotinecontaining chewing gums used for smoking cessation purposes. Such gums are semi-solid, are not possible to obtain through e.g. moulding, but are obtained through extruding and subsequent cutting to final shapes, have no hard surface texture or coating, would spread a dye marking applied to the surface, and are difficult to handle due to a certain stickiness which also cause problems if a normal stamping/impressing operation should be tried. Said chewing gums are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,845,217, hereby incorporated by reference, and are marketed under the trade marks Nicorette.RTM. and Nicotrol.RTM.. Hitherto these chewing gums have been sold in blister packages, having information printed thereon, without any marking on the gums themselves. Anyhow governmental authorities, such as the Food and Drug Administration in USA, are likely to require marking also on such therapeutic chewing gums as they already do for many other drugs in solid form.
Except for chewing gums also other edibles, such as candy and certain food-stuff, and non-edible objects can be marked using the below described new and inventive method, where in a first step the object to be marked is formed to its final shape, except for its marking, whereupon in a second step the object is marked.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,699 (L. PETERS) discloses a method of and means for embossment and packaging of cold butter. Anyhow this patent concerns a method where the butter objects are punched from a blank to their final outer shapes thereby being simultaneously embossed. On the contrary in our invention the marking takes place separately from and after the shaping of the objects.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,699 (L. PETERS) discloses a plastic patty for shaping and ornamenting butter or margarine objects. Anyhow this patent concerns a molding process in which further the forming of the outer shape and the marking of the butter or margarine objects are made simultaneously. In our invention though no molding occurs and marking takes place separately from and after the shaping of the objects.
DE 2637519 (PETERS, LEO) discloses patties for moulding butter or margarine. These patties are for use in a molding process in which the forming of the outer shape and the marking of the butter or margarine objects are made simultaneously. On the contrary in our invention no molding occurs and the marking takes place separately from and after the shaping of the objects.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,440 (HOYT) discloses a package for forming a stick-mounted frozen confection. This package is for molding and subsequent freezing of a material. Shaping and marking of the objects take place simultaneously. On the contrary in our invention neither molding nor freezing occurs and the marking takes place separately from and after the shaping of the objects.
The present invention is thus both novel and inventive over forming or marking methods and devices therefore, disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,410,699, 3,410,699, DE 2637510 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,440.